Juniata College receives over $500k for research

HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Juniata College has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s SuRE Research Awards to fund infection research.

The grant, worth $551,000, will go towards researching Clostridioides difficile infection, which is a costly and difficult-to-treat condition commonly known as C. diff. The grants are designed to aid research and capacity building at smaller institutions where at least 25% of students are Pell-eligible. This grant will fund undergraduate research over four years.

“We are grateful to the NIH for the support they are providing so that our students can engage in the kind of scholarly inquiry that can improve human health and quality of life for others,” Acting President and Provost Lauren Bowen said. “We are proud of the ways in which our faculty partner with our students to provide them with these kinds of opportunities that truly distinguish a Juniata education. Dr. Lamendella, one of our most prolific researchers, has the experience, expertise, and curiosity to ensure the success of this project.”

When antibiotics are used for a patient’s treatment, both the good and bad bacteria within the gut microbiome are killed. With C. diff, the infection multiplies unchecked and releases toxins that cause catastrophic gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the release. The infection is treatment-resistant with currently available antibiotics. Relapse is common, with 15-50% of those treated experiencing a recurrence of the C. diff infection.

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Research for this project has begun and Regina Lamendella will be mentoring two undergraduate and one graduate student this summer.

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